Cheverly, Maryland-based Andrews and Dunham Damn Fine Tea sources loose teas from international tea estates and sells them in limited-edition quantities. Packaging is as important as the product to owners Charles Andrews and Erik Dunham. The partners work with Minneapolis design firm Aesthetic Apparatus to create the quirky and colorful hand-printed labels adorning each tin. The latest teas, Thomas Sampson and Jackee Muntz, are Indian and Chinese black teas, with names and packaging based on fictional old-fashioned boxers.
Cleverly, the traditional names of the teas, Assam and Keemun, are hidden within ending and starting letters of the boxers' first and last names. Two 2.5-ounce tins cost $22; shipping throughout the U.S. and Canada is additional. The Muntz and Sampson collection also features two 4- by 6-inch silkscreened prints of the fighters for $34 with both types of tea. The company will also create custom tea blends for events; pricing varies.
